Glacier sweeps divisional doubles, team titles
GREAT FALLS — Two Glacier doubles pairs were crowned champions and the Wolfpack edged C.M. Russell for both team titles at the Northern AA tennis divisional on Friday.
The Glacier boys scored 49 points to CMR’s 47, and the girls had 38 to CMR’s 34. Both Flathead teams ended up third.
Haven Speer and Sarah Downs continued their undefeated season with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Becca Sherman and Olivia Martello of CMR for the girls’ doubles title. In boys doubles, Harrison Sanders and Timmy Glanville won an intense three-set match with two tiebreakers against Josh Stimac and Brady Pike of CMR, 7-6(7-3), 5-7, 7-6(7-4).
Flathead’s Alexis Kersten was narrowly bested by Great Falls’ Lilly Langbein, 6-3, 6-2, in the girls singles final. Kersten topped her teammate, Isabella Parrott in the semifinals Friday morning. Parrott later lost to CMR’s Grace Kaufman in the third-place match but as the top four in each category qualify for state, she still earned a spot at the AA state tournament in Kalispell this week.
Glacier’s Will Rudbach lost a tough battle to CMR’s Carson Rich in the boys singles final, 6-1, 7-6(7-3).
Colette Daniels and Katy Bitney of Glacier ended up third after falling to Speer and Downs earlier in the day. Daniels and Bitney defeated teammates Cadence and Cassidy Daniels to get to the third place game, where they beat Olivia Buckingham and Quincy Weymouth of CMR, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Another Glacier duo, Ethan Woods and Trey Engellant, ended up fourth after falling to Stimac and Pike in the morning semifinals. They were defeated by CMR’s Brady Corn and Aedan Bingham, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the third place match.
Sam Engellant also faced a teammate (Rudbach) in the boys singles final, and beat two CMR players on his way to third place.
The AA state tennis tournament is Thursday, May 25 through Friday, May 26 at the Flathead Valley Community College courts.
GIRLS
Team scores –– Glacier 38, CMR 34, Flathead 21, Great Falls 19.
Singles
Lilly Langbein (GFH) def. Grace Kaufman (CMR), 6-2, 6-1; Alexis Kersten (FHS) def. Isabella Parrott (FHS), 6-0, 6-0; Tori Dobis (GLA) def. Elle Westover (FHS), 7-5, 6-1; Ryann Walker (CMR) def. Quindy Gronley (GLA), 6-2, 6-3; Parrott def. Dobis, 6-2, 6-4; Kaufman def. Walker, 6-4, 6-3; Kaufman def. Parrott, 7-5, 6-3; Langbein def. Kersten, 6-3, 6-2.
Doubles
Haven Speer/Sarah Downs (GLA) def. Colette Daniels/Katy Bitney (GLA), 6-1, 6-1; Becca Sherman/Olivia Martello (CMR) def. Elise Strobel/Kendall Van Aken (GLA), 6-1, 6-1; Olivia Buckingham/Quincy Weymouth (CMR) def. Strobel/Van Aken, 6-4, 2-6,6-3; Daniels/Bitney def. Cadence Daniels/Cassidy Daniels (GLA), 6-2, 6-0; Daniels/Bitney def. Buckingham/Weymouth, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Speer/Downs def. Sherman/Martello, 6-4, 6-2.
BOYS
Team scores –– Glacier 49, CMR 47, Flathead 9, Great Falls 7
Singles
Carson Rich (CMR) def. Kutuk White (GLA), 6-1, 6-1; Will Rudbach (GLA) def. Sam Engellant (GLA), 7-5, 6-2; Eli Crist (CMR) def. Quaid Ring (FHS), 6-4, 6-1; Crist def. Kade Haverlandt (CMR), 6-4, 6-2; Mac Bruce (CMR) def. Kobe Schlegel (FHS), 6-1, 6-1; S. Engellant def. Bruce, 6-2, 6-1; Crist def. White, 6-2, 6-3; S. Engellant def. Bruce, 6-4, 6-3; Rich def. Rudbach, 6-1, 7-6(7-3).
Doubles
Josh Stimac/Brady Pike (CMR) def. Ethan Woods/Trey Engellant (GLA), 6-1, 6-0; Harrison Sanders/Timmy Glanville (GLA) def. Brady Corn/Aedan Bingham (CMR), 7-5, 6-1; Calvin Schmidt/Dalyn Mathison (GLA) def. Ezias Bailey/Tyler Shawback (FHS), 6-2, 6-2; Connor Sherman/Michael Waldenberg (CMR) def. Wyeth Hayes/Ben Carillo (GHF), 6-3, 6-4; Corn/Bingham def. Schmidt/Mathison, 6-3, 6-4; Woods/T. Engellant def. Sherman/Waldenberg, 7-5, 6-0; Corn/Bingham def. Woods/T. Engellant, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; Sanders/Glanville def. Stimac/Pike, 7-6(7-3), 5-7, 7-6(7-4).